NBR to expand VAT offices in all 64 dists
Sunday, 14 September 2008
FE Report
The government is going to expand VAT (value added tax) offices in 64 districts to increase collection of sales tax from businesses.
Currently, only 34 districts have VAT offices to monitor and collect tax from professionals and businesses.
Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam recently gave approval to the proposal on expansion of the Vat offices in all districts across the country.
VAT member Mohammad Alam said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been trying to increase VAT collection from services sector, but insufficient manpower and lack of infrastructure facility have slowed the process.
There has not been any appointment of customs inspectors since 1983 due to legal complexities. A writ petition was filed long back to create a roadblock in fresh appointment of customs officials.
A VAT official said the case is likely to be resolved in the High Court (HC) on August 22 next. After that, the NBR will be able to give fresh appointments to customs officials.
He said there will be acute manpower shortage in customs department by 2009 if the legal barrier on fresh appointment is not removed immediately.
Around 1,500 out of 2100 inspectors in customs department are over 50 years old.
A team of Bangladesh Customs Excise and VAT Executive Officers Association, led by NBR chairman, recently met finance adviser to resolve the issue.
Around 600 posts of customs inspectors remained vacant for long while a large number of existing inspectors will go into retirement by two to three years.
Collection of customs department will face a setback if the government fails to recruit manpower immediately.
The government has set a target of Tk 225 billion for customs department, which is 41 per cent of the aggregate revenue collection target of Tk 545 billion for the current fiscal.
Second highest target was set for VAT department at around Tk 183 billion or 34 per cent of the total revenue collection target.
The government is going to expand VAT (value added tax) offices in 64 districts to increase collection of sales tax from businesses.
Currently, only 34 districts have VAT offices to monitor and collect tax from professionals and businesses.
Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam recently gave approval to the proposal on expansion of the Vat offices in all districts across the country.
VAT member Mohammad Alam said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been trying to increase VAT collection from services sector, but insufficient manpower and lack of infrastructure facility have slowed the process.
There has not been any appointment of customs inspectors since 1983 due to legal complexities. A writ petition was filed long back to create a roadblock in fresh appointment of customs officials.
A VAT official said the case is likely to be resolved in the High Court (HC) on August 22 next. After that, the NBR will be able to give fresh appointments to customs officials.
He said there will be acute manpower shortage in customs department by 2009 if the legal barrier on fresh appointment is not removed immediately.
Around 1,500 out of 2100 inspectors in customs department are over 50 years old.
A team of Bangladesh Customs Excise and VAT Executive Officers Association, led by NBR chairman, recently met finance adviser to resolve the issue.
Around 600 posts of customs inspectors remained vacant for long while a large number of existing inspectors will go into retirement by two to three years.
Collection of customs department will face a setback if the government fails to recruit manpower immediately.
The government has set a target of Tk 225 billion for customs department, which is 41 per cent of the aggregate revenue collection target of Tk 545 billion for the current fiscal.
Second highest target was set for VAT department at around Tk 183 billion or 34 per cent of the total revenue collection target.